Bar-Z Blog

This week, October 1-7, 2017, is National Newspaper Week. As the climate for news coverage continues to shift and alternate sources of information proliferate, you may wonder, what role do local newspapers play in our communities today? We are pleased to say that newspapers play a far more complex role in the civic life of communities than many Americans may believe. According to a 2011 Pew...

While the beginning of fall may inspire thoughts of cooler weather and pumpkin spice lattes in some, as a mobile development company, the end of summer means that we’re eagerly anticipating Apple’s new hardware and software launches. The unveiling of the much heralded iPhone 8 and iPhone X happened earlier in September. Now we’re shifting gears to analyzing what the new iOS 11, which launched...

For over 10 years Bar-Z Mobile Development has been a trusted partner helping organizations connect with audiences with our customized native apps and mobile solutions. We pride ourselves on offering solutions that deliver location-based, interpretive and interactive content to audiences on the go. Over time, we have partnered with all types of publishers, broadcasters and media companies, as...

Unfortunately for mobile developers, building an app is only half the battle. To slightly revise the quote from the old movie Field of Dreams, “Build it, they will come” is not necessarily accurate when it comes to building a user base for your app. The app stores are crowded places and there are a million things vying for your audience’s attention. Strategically launching and marketing your app...

Once you’ve decided to get a mobile app for your organization, the next step is finding the right partner to make it a reality. Choosing the right vendor will make all the difference in getting a mobile application that will fit your needs and grow with your organization. The developer you choose to work with will affect everything from the kinds of features and support you get, to the cost and...

While mobile apps have been developed to provide a vast array of interactive features for users, a common denominator amongst most apps is that they also deliver some form of content. Whether it is text-based, location-based, imagery or multimedia, content will form the “meat” that users consume while using your app. A focus on quality content ensures that your app investment continues to deliver...

From choosing the right app name to determining effective keywords, app store optimization or “ASO” as it is sometimes called, helps to get your app found and downloaded. When you consider that 65% of app downloads come directly from searches in the App Store, ASO shouldn’t be relegated in importance with last minute decision making in the app development process. Keywords are what a potential...

Creating a mobile application that drives downloads and engages users takes some finesse. There are many different strategies to consider when it comes to meeting the needs of users with valuable content, and marketing an app successfully. We’ve found that a partnership approach is an effective way to achieve both.The newly launched I Love Granbury Texas app is a perfect example of how this...

There are many ways to increase user engagement and encourage repeat app usage such as adding polls and regularly replenishing your app with fresh content. In that same vein, hosting in-app “contests” is another great way to drive user retention and engagement.We find that contests can offer a number of benefits including – Encouraging app downloads & user retention Driving traffic to...

From choosing the right app name to determining effective keywords, app store optimization helps to get your app found and downloaded. App store optimization or “ASO” as it is sometimes called, is one of the first steps to marketing your app. It encompasses different elements that are submitted to the Apple App Store and Google Play app store such as the name of your app, keywords and app...